Discovery
by Lionchilde
Summary: Padme shivered as she woke, aware of her lover's absence even before she opened her eyes... A missing scene for my fic One Path, set the morning after Obi Wan proposes. request fic.


A One Path missing scene done as a Christmas present for thraceadams on LJ. Inspiration for this randomly hit me last night while I was freezing and looking for an extra blanket...One Path itself remains on hiatus, but I hope this will give a few of our readers their Kenobi fix. This is set the morning after Obi Wan proposes. 

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**Discovery**

Padme shivered as she woke, aware of her lover's absence even before she opened her eyes. She drew in a breath, shifting to hitch the top sheet higher over her left shoulder, while her right hand moved experimentally over the wrinkled section of sheet beside her body. It was cool to her touch; he'd been up for a while, then. She slowly opened her eyes, smiling as she found that he had not gone far. Obi Wan stood shirtless at the far side of the room with his back to her, his silhouette moving slowly and gracefully through what she knew was a meditative exercise routine he had learned from Qui-Gon in his early days as a Jedi Padawan. He had explained it to her before, but she had never actually seen this contemplative side of the Jedi Arts. His use of the Force around her had always been active, usually involving a lightsaber, which she would just as soon not have had to witness.

She shifted positions again, this time bringing her cheek to rest against his pillow, which still faintly held his pleasantly masculine aroma. Breathing it in, a smile curved her lips, and she watched him with a mix of curiosity, fondness, and a new, warmly possessive kind of pride. She had always found pleasure and pride in being his friend, not because he was a Jedi and members of his Order typically seemed so removed from outsiders but because he was Obi Wan--a good, kind, honorable man who shared her ideals and was willing to defend them. Now he was something else. He was hers in a way that no one had ever been before. He was more than a lover; he was soon to be her husband. The thought sent a pleasant flush of warmth through her body as she watched him.

She studied his movements carefully, both intrigued and impressed. The things he told her about the Force often eluded her-- how it flowed through all life and connected everything even while it remained in constant motion. She knew that he often meditated on that flow, and he had told her that he could sometimes remain unmoving for hours at a time, simply feeling the Force in and around him. Watching him do that would have left her mystified. To her eyes he would simply have been sitting still, but seeing him now, she thought that she could at least catch a glimpse of the mystical connection he spoke of. Even if not, he was purely and simply beautiful.

When he finished, he turned and came back to the bed, lowering himself quietly onto the edge. She smiled softly as he leaned back to drape his right arm over her. Then, with his right hand, he ran a fingertip over the curve of her lower lip. The touch was casual and possessive at once, and the combination gave her a quiet thrill.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Her smile widened. "I like that."

"What?" he asked.

"Hearing you say good morning. I'm used to hearing goodnight from you, but never good morning," she explained.

He laughed quietly. "Well, I promise to say good morning every day from now on."

"Good," she smiled, reaching to slip her arms around him. Her fingers slid over his ribs and up his back, smoothing over the broad musculature. His skin was cool and prickled with gooseflesh after standing in the early morning air, and she pulled him closer. "You're cold, Obi Wan. Come back to bed."

He nodded and straightened, then waited a moment for her to scoot back onto her own side of the bed so that he could slide in where the warmth of her body still lingered on the sheets. Absently, he pulled the covers back around them, then reached for her again, pulling her tight against his chest.

"Mmm," he murmured softly, letting his lips brush her bare shoulder.

She slipped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. "Better?"

"Much," he said, and she felt his lips curve upward in a smile against her skin. "I _love_ you."

"I love you too," she promised.

For a while, they held one another silently, enjoying the simple, tactile pleasure of one another. Then he rolled onto his back, drawing her with him, and she settled her head on his chest, pressing her cheek against the slow beating of his heart. She let her hand drift along his arm, idly linking her fingers with his.

"Do you always get up so early?" she whispered.

"Usually," he replied.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked.

"I know you don't get to sleep in very often," he said.

"Well, thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome, darling," he said, dipping his head to kiss the top of her hair. "So, what's on your agenda for today?"

"I don't know yet," she answered. "What do you want to do?"

"Me?"

"Mmm."

"Don't you have to go to your office? Meetings or something?" he wanted to know.

"I cleared my schedule as soon as I knew when you were going to arrive," she explained.

"Padme, you didn't have to do that," he said in surprise.

"I know I didn't," she said simply.

"Well, all I want to do at the moment is stay exactly where we are," he told her.

"Perfect," she murmured, letting her eyes slide closed. She listened to his heartbeat for a while, lulled by the rise and fall of his chest. His breathing slowed and deepened as sleep took him again, but even as he drifted off, his arm remained firmly wrapped around her. As the sun began to rise, she allowed herself to sleep as well, secure in the embrace of the man who had always loved her. 


End file.
